Do Schools in Developing Countries Need Computers?

Abstract

In Chapter 1 we discussed the reasons why governments of developing countries might (or might not) wish to promote or adopt computer technology. It is clear that all governments are considering, often against a background of immense economic difficulties, what policy is required in this field. In this chapter we consider what computers should and can be used for in schools and whether schools in developing countries need them. We explore the main rationales. We offer an analysis which identifies and discusses the issues against a background of policy-makers’ views and teachers’ experience of and attitudes towards using computers.